


I Promise.

by PromisedStars



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-17 20:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1400809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PromisedStars/pseuds/PromisedStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five promises Jamie Benn couldn't keep and the one he did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Promise.

**Author's Note:**

> ConCrit lovingly cherished, I'm writing to improve my writing skills and ability to write a couple of thousand words in a week before heading back to University next autumn. 
> 
> I know some other words with a similar timeline have gone up lately, but this was the plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone, please don't think this is a copycat work. 
> 
> Also, goes without saying but Disclaimer: Faker than Fake. No offence, libel or slander is intended. Tyler, if you're breaking the 4th wall again, ilu boo but go back now.

**_1\. It will be just like Boston, I promise._**

> Tyler knew he shouldn't have been so disappointed to be traded to Dallas, not after he majorly fucked things up in Boston, but the thought of leaving his friends and a cup contending team for a mediocre team in a state that is so often the butt of jokes in New England kinda fills him with dread. But the announcement has been made and there's nothing he can do but get on the plane and go and meet his new team in Texas. In a way he's lucked out a bit, they seem willing to give him a clean slate without holding the shit from Boston against him forever and one of his teammates went out of his way to text and welcome him. 
> 
> Jamie Benn seemed like a pretty nice guy. He'd gone out of his way to get Tyler's number and text him and they struck up a bit of a texting friendship instantly. Jamie would send stupid snapchats from British Columbia which would get a smile from him and he seemed to like the videos of Marshall he's send back. Not that he could blame Jamie, Marshall was the most awesome dog ever. But it kinda felt like none of Tyler's teammates in Boston gave a crap whether Tyler stayed or went, which he can sort of understand from how shit he played during the Stanley Cup run, but he still thought maybe they cared as friends beyond hockey. There was nothing other than a text from Marchy with a generic 'good luck down there bro', and they hadn't even been that close over the last year since he met a girl and settled down. He even had a stepson now, and it started to feel like he was the lone single guy on the Bs. But none of that changed the fact he wanted to win cups and Boston was one of the best places in the league to do that.
> 
> Tyler realised he must have been sounding a little bitter in his messages because the text message from Jamie comes through:  
> 
> _man, gonna have a great year, with you really could make playoffs, it will be just like boston, i promise :)'._
> 
> The smiley face emoji made Tyler feel like a total asshole. Jamie had been nothing but nice to him and he was sounding like a douchebag and a brat, so he types out the reply 'yeah, ur rite, gonna be great' and sends it, even though he doesn't truly believe his own words. He hasn't even come face to face with Jamie yet but doesn't want to upset him by being a total dick to him when he's reached out to Tyler.  
> 
> (It turned out that Dallas was nothing like Boston. The people in Texas live and breathe the Cowboys and college football teams and the Stars spent the season fighting to scrape into a Wildcard slot while Boston were cup contenders again, battling for the Presidents trophy. They weren't the darlings of the city the way he was in Boston and the success didn't come quite as easily. But there were good bars, good steaks, cute woman, hot cowboys and good friends which was awesome, and being able to leave the house without being bombarded by fans was a pleasant change. Plus he had a really great captain in Jamie.)

 

**_2\.  I’ll help you move in, I promise._**

> Jamie meant it when he promised Tyler in their text messages that he'd help him out with anything he needed with settling into Dallas. Tyler casually mentioned at training one day that he was getting a bit sick of living in a hotel and Jamie said he knew a couple in his apartment complex looking to sell. Tyler really didn't want to deal with apartment hunting for days on end, so after taking a quick look at the place and seeing it had a decent enough balcony and entertainment room, he decided to buy it. It was a bit more than he wanted to pay, but the Stars had given him one hell of a contract so it didn't matter it was a huge chunk of his savings from his old entry level deal. 
> 
> Jamie seemed happy Tyler took the apartment, breaking into a smile and jokes about sleepovers and watching Gossip Girl on Netflix when Tyler told him he's signed a contract for the apartment as they were stretching on the ice for training warm up. Tyler groaned about how much stuff he had and Jamie said 'No sweat, I'll help you move in, I promise'. 
> 
> The day they were going to do all the moving, Tyler got a text from Jamie, apologising that he wouldn't be able to help him move in because he was feeling really sick. Tyler was way more bummed out by this than he should be, but didn't really know why, because it wasn't like he had much stuff and the apartment was furnished anyway. When he said tons, he was just really trying to get Jamie to offer to help. He started to wonder if Jamie didn't really like Tyler and if all his kindness was just him doing his duty as captain. He then wondered why he even cared so much, after all, Tyler wasn't really one to give a shit what people thought about him. He got nothing done and instead took a nap. Later that night, he went down to Jamie's floor. When Jamie opened the door, all puffy eyed and red nosed, all Tyler could do was chirp him that he looked like shit while being secretly relieved he didn't lie because he didn't want to deal with Tyler. Jamie flipped him off in response, mumbling about how shit it is to get the flu in September. 
> 
> 'I could always be your naughty nurse if you need one' Tyler suggests, eyebrows wiggling.
> 
> Jamie laughs and tells him that he better not because one sick member of the team is quite enough.
> 
> Tyler doesn't know if it is wishful thinking or not, but he could swear Jamie's eyes darkened a little and he bit his lip ever so slightly at his suggestion.  
> 
> (Jamie promised to come help him next week but he never did. They went to a Cowboys game though and that was way more fun than unpacking. Besides his mom would eventually come and do it for him anyway). 

 

**_3\. ‘People will forget all about the Twitter shit, I promise’._**

> Tyler doesn't quite understand why Jamie thinks Tyler needs a big heart to heart the night before their opening regular season match, but that's where he found himself. Jamie had knocked on the door with Tacos, and Tyler was never one to turn down a good Taco. An hour later they were on Tyler's couch, flirting with the lines of acceptable personal space boundaries, with Tyler nestled in against Jamie's side as his friend went all captainly on him, telling him what a great year they'll have and how no one cares about the past.  
> 
> 'People will forget all about the Twitter shit, I promise'.
> 
> Ah. So that's what this is all about. 
> 
> He believes some of what Jamie is saying. People can be forgiving and give second chances and allow people to change and grow up, he'd seen plenty of that here in Dallas, a lot of it from Jamie himself. Never once has Jamie said anything that has made Tyler feel judged for the shit that went down in Boston. But he couldn't promise Tyler it would all be forgotten. Those screenshots of those tweets were going to follow him around until the end of the time and people were going to call him a homophobe, which was fucking laughable, given how he swung both ways. 
> 
> He even lied about writing the Tweets, something that's made him feel like a fraudulent liar for weeks now. 
> 
> 'You know....I wrote them. I didn't get hacked. Those tweets. I wrote them because I'm a dumb confused dick and shit'. Tyler's blurting out the confession before he even knows what he's doing, and fuck, this is going to be the thing that makes Jamie's kindness disappear isn't it?
> 
> Jamie's voice is so soft Tyler barely hears it, but they're the words he didn't know he needed to heard until now.
> 
> 'A couple of silly tweets don't make you a bad person Ty'. 
> 
> No one has ever really called him Ty before, it was always Segs, but he liked the nickname and instantly knew he didn't want to hear anyone else call him Ty, only Jamie.
> 
> 'But....why the anti gay sentiment....do you like....have like....a....problem with it?'. Now it's Jamie's turn to sound nervous and Tyler has no idea why, it's him who fucked up while Jamie has been nothing but a goddamn perfect PR angel in his career. 
> 
> 'NO......it's the opposite. I um. I like guys and girls and it took a while to sort of get a grip on that'. 
> 
> The relief floods over Jamie's face. 'Good because....well, I'm gay'. 
> 
> (Of course Jamie couldn't keep a promise that the world was going to forget about something plastered all over the internet, but it kinda stopped mattering to Tyler anyway, because as long as Jamie didn't think he was an asshole, it was somehow all OK.)

 

_**4\. It will be the best steak you’ve ever eaten, I promise.**_

> 'Yo Ty, be ready at 6:30 tonight, we're going to dinner'. 
> 
> Tyler looks up from unlacing his skates after a gruelling optional skate he regretted getting out of bed for to see Jamie smiling back at him.
> 
> 'There's this amazing place, my favourite, I feel like going, you haven't been, so be ready. It will be the best steak you've ever eaten, I promise'. 
> 
> Tyler would deny til the day he was six feet under in his grave, but he spent 2 hours at the mall that afternoon finding something good to wear.
> 
> Jamie knocked on Tyler's door at about 6:45, not that Tyler really noticed Jamie was late because he was so busy trying to make his hair look effortlessly perfect. He felt like one of his sisters, fluffing about in front of the mirror for over an hour trying to make himself look pretty or whatever. Tyler opens the door and holy fucking damn. 
> 
> Jamie Benn is so hot. 
> 
> He didn't need to spend ages in front of a mirror, all he needed to do was throw on that blue and white plaid button down shirt and those jeans hugging his ass in all the right places and just be Jamie goddamnfucking Benn. Tyler's not even surprised to finally realise he has a huge crush on his friend. For the last few weeks, he's been smiling at every text Jamie has sent him, going out of his way to accidentally bump into him all the time and being in a pathetically good mood every time he was around. It made sense, but it didn't mean he was thrilled to have an awkward crush on his captain because just because Jamie was gay, didn't mean he wanted Tyler. Truth be told, he could do way better and Tyler knew it. There was nothing to stop someone as amazing as Jamie finding a nice guy he could take home to his mama without tons of questions about his baggage and his past and people looking at Jamie wondering why he was wasting his time with such a douchebag. 
> 
> (So it turns out that Tyler's steak was way overcooked, not the medium well done he's asked for, they'd waited 20 minutes for a glass of water and their waitress was acting like someone pissed in her cheerios that morning. Jamie apologised for it all, mumbling something about how it was meant to impress Tyler and he tried 8 different places to find the best steak in Dallas. He got adorably kinda bashful when Tyler said 'so is this like, a date like thing eh?'. He didn't even make fun of Tyler for using the phrase 'date like thing eh', he just smiled and Tyler didn't care about the shitty fucking steak, because everything was perfect. Jamie smiling brighter than the sun and laughing at his shitty jokes and not even denying he was trying to wine and dine him was a damned good night, not a shitty one. And when they went home and Jamie leaned in and kissed him, nerves melting the instant Tyler wraps his hand around Jamie's neck to pull him closer to him, Tyler had long forgotten about Jamie's promise to get him the best steak he's ever had. He had something way better now.)

 

_**5\. We'll do it properly. You know, nice and shit, I promise.**_

> Tyler had to laugh at how adamant Jamie was that their first time was going to be nice and special when they got home. Tyler desperately wanted Jamie to stay the night when he first kissed him, but he went all responsible captain on him and reminded him they had to be awake to leave on a roadie at 6 the next morning. It was kinda sweet the way Jamie wanted to be a gentleman about things and Jamie seemed to know more about proper relationships than Tyler did. But that was irrelevant right now because Tyler just wanted him thisfuckinginstant, as soon as he could get him. When he told Jamie this, he came back at him again with 'We'll do it properly. You know, nice and shit. I promise'. Tyler sighed. Jamie must have some weird self control thing that Tyler doesn't, because every time Tyler so much as thinks about Jamie he just wants to jump his bones. 
> 
> (Their first time ends up being messy, uncoordinated hand jobs in a Raleigh hotel room when Tyler just can't hold out anymore and grabs Jamie by the shoulders, shoving him into his room and against the back of the door, fumbling with his belt buckle, kissing away Jamie's protests about waiting until he was moaning into Tyler's mouth, bucking his hips, pressing his cock into Tyler's hands and coming hard all over them.) 

**_\--_ **

**_‘I’ll bring you back the gold, I promise’._**

> Tyler knew he wasn't making the Olympic team, it had come around just a little too early for him to prove himself but Jamie had been in beast mode since that infamous bullshit snub. He'd was nervous for Jamie, worried those selectors wouldn't see what a huge mistake they made and not recognise one of the best players they've got. When Jamie gets off the phone looking downtrodden and joins him on the couch, wordlessly curling into Tyler's side, Tyler wants to go and knock out Steve Yzerman's teeth until Jamie says 'they picked me'.
> 
> Huh? Tyler doesn't get it. Why isn't he jumping up and down with excitement? 
> 
> 'I'm worried I won't be good without you'.
> 
> Jamie was doing that thing he does when he is embarrassed, where he drops his voice to barely above a whisper and stares at a random spot near Tyler's feet. Tyler can already read him like a book and instead of being worried it's all happening too quickly, he loves that he is right in tune with Jamie. 
> 
> 'But you are, you're going to be amazing. You don't need me on your line to be good, you're good all on your own babe, you got this.' 
> 
> Jamie looks like he doesn't believe Tyler. 
> 
> This time, it was Tyler's turn. 
> 
> 'I promise, you're going to win. You're going to be amazing'.
> 
> Maybe he shouldn't have said that, shouldn't have made Jamie a promise he had no control over keeping, but he just wanted Jamie's worry to disappear and he knew it was what Jamie needed to hear. Jamie's body softens against Tyler's side and he can sense the small smile creeping back onto Jamie's face. It still blows Tyler's mind a bit, the way he'd fallen so hard and fast for Jamie. They'd only been together a few weeks, yet Tyler knew he was never going to stop loving Jamie. He wanted to fuck him over the couch for a long time to come, see his stupid face in the bathroom twenty years from now, have a collection of Stanley Cup rings in a shared living room and maybe even like, marry him one day.  
> 
> 'I'll bring you back the gold. I won't let you down, I promise'. 
> 
> -
> 
> (Tyler goes to the airport to meet Jamie's plane and no amount of ribbing from Jordie about it being a cheesy chick flick move can put Tyler off, and the huge grin Jamie breaks into when he sees Tyler waiting for him makes the hour he spent stuck in traffic worth it.
> 
> Jamie gets his bag and walks over to Tyler. He smiles fondly and reaches for something in his pocket, pulling out the medal to place it in Tyler's hands. 
> 
> 'I promised'.
> 
> Tyler can't speak. He's overwhelmed looking at the gold disc resting in the palm of his hand and all the fucking emotions he's feeling right now. It's like his throat is full of saw dust or something. He knows exactly what he's feeling but the words won't come out, until he looks up from the medal to see Jamie looking at Tyler like he's the only person in the world and suddenly it's the easiest thing in the world for Tyler to say.
> 
> 'I love you'. 
> 
> And when Jamie said it back straight away, it was better than any promise he could make him.
> 
>  


End file.
